Quick Takes: William

Submitted by Scott Jaschik on May 9, 2005 - 4:00am

The College of William & Mary has apologized for and rescinded the dismissal of one dormitory housekeeper and the placement on probation of another, reported[1] the Hampton Roads Daily Press. The housekeepers were punished for talking to reporters about the recent suicides of two students. Their supervisor said that they were not allowed to talk to reporters, but Timothy J. Sullivan, the college's president, said that the college did not have such a ban.

More than 69 percent of voters in Midland, Tex. on Saturday backed a plan by Midland College to issue $41.8 million in bonds for facilities, The Midland Reporter Telegram reported.[2] The community college will have more than 50 new classrooms when construction and renovation efforts are completed.

Voters in Austin, Tex., overwhelmingly approved a measure to expand the taxing district that supports Austin Community College. An article[3] in The Austin American-Statesman (free registration required) said that the vote would result in the college receiving $6.5 million in additional revenue annually, starting in 2007.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey contributed more than $150,000 to state politicians over the last decade and appears to have used funds from two foundations that say their grants should not have been used for that purpose, the Bergen Recordreported.[4]

Facing an uproar from alumni and the cotton industry, Texas Tech University is backing down from plans to remove images of cotton bolls from its official seal[5], according[6] to The Houston Chronicle. The newspaper reported that the university may still make changes in the design of the seal, but that cotton will not be removed from it.